Welcome to the latest exclusive monthly tips for our subscribers!

It's time again for our monthly BSR in the Wild update! The first Friday of every month we bring you our hottest tips on what's on our radar, through three sections: Find Us!, Neil's Nod of the Month, and Recommended Reading. On May 31, we will be coming to you with a special edition of In The Wild in honor of BSR Book Week 2024 (June 2-8): a list of books by your favorite BSR writers. This month, we will also be kicking off a giveaway of a new Philly through-and-through book we can't say enough about: Emma Copley Eisenberg's Housemates, which will be out on May 28.

Find Us! is exclusive subscriber tips on which events and exhibitions our staff is heading to in the coming month. There's a lot happening, this month as always, and we love to provide these tips.

Neil's Nod of the Month is a look forward to the upcoming BSR story or review I'm most excited to read.

Finally, Recommended Reading is a quick, subscribers-only tip to contextualize the work we have coming up, placing upcoming articles in dialogue with past stories, because our arts and culture scene is an ongoing citywide conversation that you're a part of, too.

If you're enjoying this series, let us know! And don't forget, as a reader you can support our writers in multiple ways. The ranks of our Local Media Champions are growing. Want to join them? Send an article to a friend. Check out our latest Stories and Reels on Instagram. Are you caught up on our podcast? Feel free to email me with your own May picks!

Read on for May's inside scoops.

Sincerely,
Neil Bardhan
BSR executive director

Find Us!

As usual, you'll see some familiar institution names alongside new ones. We cover a wide range of experiences in our region. Read on, and be sure to tell us what you're seeing this month.

FIND US
BAD REVIEWS: Why we need them, and how to write them, a webinar with the editors of BSR
WHEN: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 6:30pm ET
WHERE: On Zoom!
WHY: We’re excited to open the gates on our latest webinar, a follow-up to our popular 2023 class, Intro to review-writing. Many artists and creators today will try to tell you that we don’t need reviews anymore – particularly negative ones! But that couldn’t be further from the truth. This 90-minute virtual session will dive deeper into the mechanics of something that many writers struggle with: how do we pen negative reviews in a fair and ethical way, and how do we deal with the response? This session is open to anyone who’s interested in the art of critique, with a recommended $30 donation to BSR. Secure your spot here. And if you’re an artist who’s been reviewed in BSR, look out for our next newsletter! We’ll be sharing a discount code for our artist community. As always, this event is free for Friends of BSR, who get other invitations, perks, and discounts throughout the year. Join the ranks of our monthly donors, who power the work of our journalists (starting at just $5/month).

FIND ALAINA AND JOSH HERREN
PHILLY GRIT
WHEN: Running May 8-19, 2024
WHERE: Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: This trio of solo shows from women creators on the Philly scene (Jenna Kuerzi & Val Dunn, Mary McCaughan, and Brett Ashley Robinson) promises to shine "an embarrassingly glaring light on our world". They're all artists I've been following for the last several years and I'm interested in what they're getting up to on the Exile stage. I'll be attending each show with BSR theater critic Josh Herren, and then teaming up with him for a podcast episode about them. Keep your ears out!

Credit: Fabric Workshop and Museum

FIND ALAINA
ROSE GARDEN
WHEN: Running May 11-September 29, 2024
WHERE: The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: This interactive exhibition is the next phase of John Jarboe's Rose project, which debuted as a stage show in the 2022 Philly Fringe. This incarnation includes short films, original music, "hidden treats, and an immersive maze of memories and provocations" exploring the complexities of trans identity and belonging.

FIND NEIL
No Diggity
WHEN: Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 8:00pm
WHERE: Sawubona Creativity Project, 1935 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: My friend Tia Kemp runs this improv show, with a pickup cast of performers, around town. Classic hip-hop and R&B music videos serve as inspiration for comedic scenes. I fondly remember first seeing Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Salt-N-Pepa on '90s MTV, so this combination is right up my alley. And I'm performing in this!

Ready to Die?
WHEN: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Case Comedy, Abyssinia, 229 S. 45th St., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: Comedian/writer Alison Zeidman has been all over the place: New York, L.A., Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. She's back in Philly and is debuting a comedy show about end-of-life planning. I fully expect to laugh a lot, weep a little, and learn some practical skills.

Shadowbeats
WHEN: Friday, May 24, 2024 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Studio 34, 4522 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: I've seen Philly artist Pamela Spark live code electronic music before a few times, and it feels like magic. She uses a computer (like the one I'm typing on now) to program new audio combinations, which get implemented in real-time. Plus as audience members we sometimes get to see the inner workings via a projection of her screen. This showcase also includes puppets and inflatables.

FIND BSR partner Emma Copley Eisenberg
Housemates Launch at Free Library
WHEN: Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at 7:30pm
WHERE: Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: Philly author Emma Copley Eisenberg has published her first novel, and we're excited for her. We're also excited for ourselves, as we dive into Housemates, set in West Philly with themes near and dear to our hearts and interests. On the night of the official release, Eisenberg will be at the Library's Parkway Central location for an author event in conversation with Jennifer Wilson.

(Photo provided by Cirque de Soleil)

FIND ALAINA

Cirque du Soleil's Corteo
WHEN: Running May 30-June 2, 2024
WHERE: Temple University's Liacouras Center, 1776 N Broad St., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: As someone who can barely ride a bike, I am shocked and delighted every time by the feats of Cirque's world-class acrobats in these immersive shows. Corteo, which premiered in Montreal in 2005, has been a popular production ever since, but it's landing in Philly now for the first time. I'm grabbing the chance to see it.

Enjoy Philly authors' books during our upcoming BSR Book Week (Photo by Alaina Johns)

FIND US (in June!)

BSR Book Week
WHEN: June 2-8, 2024
WHERE: On the BSR site, on Zoom, and in your emails!

WHY: Philly has a thriving literary community, so we’re bringing back BSR Book Week, which debuted last year. We’ll be coming to you with a list of books by BSR authors, and we’re turning the site over to book reviews just in time for summer. Mark your calendars for the evening of June 6, when we’ll hold a Zoom panel event with some exciting guests from the Philly publishing world. More details coming soon!

FIND US
PVLA's Arts Affair 2024
WHEN: Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 6:00pm
WHERE: Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA
WHY: We're proud to once again be a media sponsor for our friends at Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. This will be a night of memorable live performance, fantastic food and beverages, and great company. Cookie Diorio of The Bearded Ladies Cabaret acts as emcee this year. There are $45 tickets available for artists and students as well as for nonprofit/public interest workers.

Neil's nod of the month:

Krista Mar has an upcoming feature about PAPA, the Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists collective. I've attended a few meetings and showcases held by PAPA and am always eager to see what's next. Krista's piece specifically is looking at barriers that Asian-American artists in Philly face.

Recommended Reading

We ran a piece from Kyle V. Hiller at the end of 2022 that comes to mind for me now, as baseball season gets started. As a city, it's easy to rally behind sports teams and other institutions when they're doing well. But how do we feel when we're less sure of our footing? How can we collectively fight for improvement?